Burial-vault.



No. 699,086 Pa te'nted Apr. 29, I902.-

.1. (LHENNIS.

BURIAL VAULT.

(Application filed July 18, 1901.)

(No llodel.)

TIT-t1.

INVENTDE'. I CUM Ely/107%" ATIY' ATTEE 1:.

THE scams PETERS 0a., FNOTO-LlTHO-. WASHINGTON 0.124

TED; Eateries PATENT FICE.

JULIUS: 0.; H'ENNIS, OF CLEVELAND, oHIo.

SPECIFICATION forming part bf meets To all whom it may concern: Be it know'nthat 1', JULIUs C. H-ENNIS, a

citizen of the United States, 'residing at Cleve; land, in the county ofCuyahogaandstate of; Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBurial -Vaults; and I do declare that the following'is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap-' pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to burial vault s; and l the object of the invention is to provide a burial-vault which is absolutely proof against, opening when once locked-and which alsov is hermetically sealed and .made permanently air andwater tight. I

A further object is to provide a'vault especially adapted for long-distance shipments, as across the ocean fromone country to another, and in which there can be-indefinite preservation of the body, While the vaultitself does not add excessively to the weight/to} be handled or the space occupied, and which is admirably suited for temporary disposition in a crypt or otherlike depository.

In the construction of avaultserving' these it should be hermetically sealed and in such way as to withstand the ravages of time and exposure to the elements, and, lastly, that it; should be so constructedas that the air may be exhausted therefrom and the body pre-l served in vacuum the'lid or cover removed. section thereof on line at 00, Fig. 1.

- :anenlargedviewof a section of the lowerpor- =-tion-of the vault, showing especially one of the'catches for'the catch on the cover. 4 is a section of one side of the cover, showing one of the spring-catches designed to autonnatically engage the corrresponding catch on the body part of. the vault shown in Fig. 3. Fig. '5 is a cross-section of one edge of *the body shown in cast metal.

Patent No. eeaosem ted Application filed Ju1y'l8,l901.; Serial Nc.68,784. (NomodeL) i Fig.

Apr-i129, 1902.

A represents the body-of thevault, and B the cover. The body, as here shown, is a substantially rectangular box or receptacle,made,

preferably, out of cast metal; but it may be made partly or wholly of heavy sheet metal or equivalent material. If it be desirable to increase the strength without materially increasing the weight, the parts may be formed with ribs or corrugations stamped or otherwise produced therein or thereon. Ordinarily, however, the parts are plain throughout and covered or coated on one'or both sides with enamel or other permanent and durable coating, so thatthe vault can remain. indefinitelyin a damp'place and not oxidize or rust. This adapts the vault to-burial'in the ground and preserves it from disintegration or decay.- I 4 'Around the top portion or edge of the-body- A is a cement channel or trough a, formed in this instance by adding an outer plate 0',

formingfone side of the Wall of said channel;

but said channel may be otherwise formed as may be found desirable orconvenient; Said channel is open at thetop and closed at bottom and sides, so as to fill the same with a cement which will harden and seal the vault, and'the said channel may have substantially the shape shown or any equivalent shape in cross-section. The cover or lid B has a continuous flange, rim, orprojection b extend- 'ing down into this channel or trough, while the outeredge of the cover overlaps saidchannel and its outer Wall O;

In the channel a at suitable intervals apart are fixed catches a'say three-or more on each side and one or more at the endsand by spring-dogs b on the projecting rib b of thelid 13, alhese dogs I) havespring-shanks, as here shown, so that they will automatically engage the catchesa when the cover 13 is placed in position, and the said dogs and catches are designed to so match-that'when locked'together the lid is held down closely on the body A of the vault;

In order that thejoint between .cover and .body shallbe hermetically sealed and the said locks held immovably in engagement, I

fill the channel a with a cement which when first placed there is preferably in aliquid the'sejcatches a areadapted to be engaged 1 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my newl y-im proved vault with Fig. 2 is a cross- Fig. 3 is state, but which soon hardens and becomes as firm as rock. The lid B cannot be raised when the catches a bare in engagement, and these catches cannot possibly be disengaged when firmly held by the hardened cement. Hence the vault is proof every way against entrance and against outside air, as well as against emission of odors, and is admirably adapted to ship bodies long distances and to keep for indefinite periods before burial.

It a glass window be provided in the top of the vault, it willatford a view within, so that a face could be clearly exposed to view, while at the same time the vault would be as truly sealed as it could otherwise be.

It should be understood-that any suitable equivalent of the dogs and catches a b may beadopted without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the only object in using spring-shanks on the dogs is to cause them to automatically lock when the cover is shut down.

Within the body A, along the sides and ends thereof, are flat substantially U-shape springs D, which are used to center and hold the casket. As larger caskets are used the springs are more compressed and may spread to hold smaller ones.

Across the bottom of the body are strips 6, upon which the casket rests and which atford room to .withdraw the ribbons when the casket is lowered into position.

Frepresents a short valved tube in the end of the vault to which an exhaust-pump or other suction may be attached for exhausting the air from the vault. Any suitable means of exhaustion may be adopted.

What I claim is- 1. The body of the vault having a channel constructed to hold a sealing material adapted to harden and catches for the cover in said channel, in combination with the cover overlapping said channel and having a flange projectingdown into the channel and provided with dogs adapted to lock on said catches,

and sealing material in said channel immersing the said flange and the said catches and dogs, substantially as described.

2. The body of the vault having a continuous channel in the upper edge of its bottom part constructed to hold a hardening sealing material, in combination with a top part provided with a continuous flange on its bottom in position to dip into said channel, and mechanism for holding the said top and bottom parts together,said mechanism connected with both parts and constructed to interlock when the cover is on and arranged to be confined wholly within said channel, whereby when the sealing material fills the said channel it immerses and binds the said mechanisnrin locked position, substantially as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 26th day of June, 1901.

JULIUS. C. HENNIS:

Witnesses R. B. MOSER, II. E. MUDRA. 

